Open research information to inform regional policies: the case of Tuscany Region

The Region of Tuscany supports research and innovation activities in its territory through direct R&D funding and through facilitation and coordination actions between the different actors of the regional ecosystem. In order to better inform and support its policies, the Tuscany Region has set up a regional research observatory, which integrates various sources of data and combine metadata on R&D activities, funding and human resources. In this context, the Region has committed to identifying, analysing and integrating open research information into its Observatory, deciding to abandon the use of proprietary research information (in particular for scientific publications) in favour of fully open data sources. In the same view, an internal action has also been launched (in collaboration with various regional government offices) to improve the publication of and access to metadata on research funding. The Tuscany experience is an opportunity to demonstrate the potential and opportunities of open research information to support public policies and to facilitate a better dialogue with regional and national stakeholders, from regional universities to the national evaluation agencies. However, it also shows the challenge faced by public administrations that are too often organised ina ”silos” structure, which is not optimal to deal with transversal challenges, as research should be.